If you are an author, speaker, coach, healer, entrepreneur or small business owner, then the power of becoming an author and having a book is undeniable. A book is a wonderful tool to add to your marketing strategy and plan. Your book should be used as a business card as well as a positioning tool to elevate your status to respected authority and credible expert in your niche. During the entire writing process, make sure that you have a clear idea of what you want to leave the reader with. Do you want to solve a problem? Do you want to answer a primary question? Do you want to explain a specific process?

Knowing the answers to these questions in advance will help you see the book as a roadmap and will make the organization of your content more palatable to your reader and will give them a good experience with your book.

There is no denying that “Content is King”. Nothing in this world can change this rule and it will continue to be true even if you are the most popular bestselling author on the planet. If people do not like your content, then there is no way you are going to get them to read your work. The most important thing to focus on is the content of your book. Keep it as engaging as possible. Remember that the reader is taking a journey with you and you want to take them safely from A to Z.

Strategically write your book in in a way to answer a key question or solve a specific problem. Most people go to books looking for answers, so structure your book in a way that you provide the best answer in an easy to understand and digest format. Again, when you take them from A to Z, they feel a sense of closure and completion and they immediately form a level of trust with you because you answered their primary question or addressed their problem. If you have a service or product that further helps to solve this, then your book can be a pre-qualifier for potential new clients and customers.

You should always position your book in a way that will hold the attention of the reader. In today’s world, there is too much distraction when it comes to reading due to the impact of social media and the internet. If they are reading your book on a Kindle device, or on their computer, they are getting emails and pings as they read. They do not have too much patience to hold onto your book if the content is not interesting and paced in a way that will keep them engaged. Additionally, if you have a chart, a mind map, illustrations or a video online, insert links to those valuable bonuses within the content of your book. When you do, it helps to keep the reader an active participant in your book and they will appreciate the added value. It will also get them further introduced to your program or services, online and off.

Something else to do before you complete your book is to contact other experts and ask them to go through your work and provide insight and feedback. You can choose to publish the good feedback from other experts in the industry and this will automatically add to the credibility of your work. When you work it into the content strategically, your reader associates you with those other experts and this elevates your positioning and credibility. Or you can add it to the book cover or description in the form of a powerful quote. Either way, using association with others leaders aids in the strategic positioning of your work.

Many authors write a bio that is a personal story based on their own interests. Remember why you are writing the book. If it is expert positioning you are after then your author bio should be written with compelling sales copy enticing the reader to want to do more with you. If you have created a product or program, add that information as well. If you offer a coaching program, link to it in your bio. If you offer any free training on the subject matter presented in your book, offer a link and call it a “bonus”. Also, if you have written any other book, make sure to mention that as well. Do not be afraid to post your personal accolades and triumphs. If you have been a #1 bestselling author on Amazon, say so. If you have been cited on media channels, mention those. There is great power in having the words “as seen on….” as a part of your biography.

A book should be written in a way that will position you as a leader, elevate your platform, add authority to your social media presence and raise your expert status within the industry. When you write your book with a specific positioning strategy in place, you will discover that not only have you satisfied your readers, but that you have also generated new leads and added more followers.

Whether you have an eBook, a paperback or a hardcover book that you want to revamp, or if you’re just getting started, we’d love to help. Just send us an email at sayhi@distinctpress.com and we’ll be in touch.